An augmented reality technology in which a virtual object is superimposed and displayed on a real space image (a captured image) photographed by a camera has been distributed, and a mobile phone or a head mount display (HMD) in which the augmented reality technology is employed is appearing.
An augmented reality providing apparatus which provides such an augmented reality generally displays an image adapted for a user who has the augmented reality providing apparatus on a display unit. For example, in Patent Literature 1, a virtual object to be superimposed on a captured image is determined according to a line-of-sight of a user who wears a HMD.
When it becomes possible to display in consideration of a person who is photographed by a camera without being limited to a user who has the augmented reality providing apparatus, the use of the augmented reality providing apparatus can be widened, so that an expansion of market size of the augmented reality technology can be achieved.
For example, Patent Literature 2 describes a method in which a person included in a captured image is detected and CG costume is superimposed on the person. According to the method, it becomes possible to display in consideration of a person who is photographed by a camera of an augmented reality providing apparatus. However, the method of Patent Literature 2 needs to continuously superimpose CG on a person who goes around, so that a configuration of a system becomes complicated. Accordingly, a general user cannot use it without a burden.
Patent Literature 3 is a technique for displaying CG of a person on a virtual space, and has nothing to do with an augmented reality providing apparatus.
Patent Literature 4 relates to a system for detecting a face position and a face direction of a person, and has nothing to do with an augmented reality providing apparatus.
Patent Literature 5 relates to a technique in which a face position and a face direction of a person in a three dimensional space is used to determine whether persons are facing each other and an attribute value is allocated to the person according to a determination result to associate a unique ID with the attribute value of each person, and has nothing to do with an augmented reality providing apparatus.
In the meantime, when a projector projecting a three dimensional image at a particular position becomes possible to project in consideration of a person who views the image without being limited to the augmented reality providing apparatus, the use of the projector can be widened. Patent Literatures 1 to 5 do not disclose techniques that can implement such a projector.